Rendang Terlagi Lagi Beef – Malaysian Dry Style

15 March 2016 By

A sticky, thick and spicy paste that’s absolutely addictive. Best slow cooked with chunky beef, veal,lamb shoulders, or free range chicken or duck on the bone. For vegetarians and vegans this paste pairs wonderfully with vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potato, eggplant or pumpkin.

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp coconut oil, sunflower oil or Latasha’s Kitchen Chilli Oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 jar Latasha’s Kitchen Rendang Terlagi Lagi Paste
  • 2 kg gravy beef, chuck, skirt or flank cut into 4 cm thick slices
  • 400 ml coconut milk or cream
  • 5 tbsp grated toasted coconut (kerisik) store bought or home made*
  • 2 small pieces palm sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 fresh long red chillies, sliced in half
  • Water

Method

  1. Heat oil in a deep wide pot. Add onions and a pinch of salt and cook on low and slow for 15 minutes until onion caramelises. Next add Latasha’s Kitchen Rendang Terlagi Lagi Paste and two – three fresh red chillies. Fill the empty jar with water, shake and pour into the pot as well. Simmer until the sauce is reduced and aromatic, approx. 10 minutes, then add beef pieces and salt. Fry the beef in the spice mixture on medium heat for 12-15 minutes until browned all over.
  2. Next add the coconut cream or milk and enough water (at least 1 litre) to cover the meat slices and bring to a quick boil.
  3. Then reduce heat and simmer with a lid on until beef is cooked approx. an hour or more depending on the size of meat (larger cuts can take 2 hours). Then remove the lid, turn the heat on high and evaporate most of the liquid until beef rendang s almost dry,
  4. Add the toasted coconut, crushed palm sugar and stir continuously until gravy is thick. Adjust salt to taste.

Note

You can add finely sliced kaffir lime leaves or turmeric leaves as a garnish for a beautiful aromatic fragrance.

KERISIK*

Kerisik (ground toasted coconut) is used to thicken curries naturally in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine. It adds an unmistakable boost of nuttiness to coconut based gravies. It also imparts a wonderful richness of colour and fragrance to the dish. You can add kerisik at the beginning of the dish and more towards the end as a garnish.

Once made, it can be stored in your fridge or freezer and used whenever needed. The colour should be dark brown, texture fairly smooth and oily, almost resembling melted dark chocolate.

To make kerisik use frozen coconut which has been defrosted. Pan fry in a wok with no oil over medium heat until it turns a nutty dark golden brown. No white bits of coconut must remain but be careful not to burn it. Burnt coconut will be black, what we want is crispy dark brown coconut. This can take almost 25 minutes and must be continually watched and turned. It’s best made ahead of time.

Cool toasted coconut then crush in a spice blender or use a mortar and pestle.

Alternatively spread the defrosted coconut thinly on a lightly greased baking tray. Then bake in fan forced oven at a low temperature of 140˚C until golden brown. It can take 40-60 minutes and must be turned over half way.

NOTE: Purchase your frozen coconut from the freezer section of your local Oriental grocer. The best ones are from Thailand or Indonesia. Don’t use the frozen coconut from India as the quality isn’t great.